Animal Mask
Lyrics
Eighteen-man steel cage free-for-all
Through the noise I hear you call for help
You can't protect yourself
Frog mask and yellow cape
So desperate to escape
I came to you, hands wrapped in adhesive tape
That was when we were young and green
In the dawning hours of our team
Some things you will remember
Some things stay sweet forever
Seen you backstage once or twice
Animal gimmick pops real nice
Elbows sweep and tiger dance
Little extra fighter's chance
"Hold on", I cried, "I'll be right there"
Pull your mask down through your hair
They won't see you
Not until you want them to
That was when we were green and young
Battle cry rising from your tongue
Some things you will remember
Some things stay sweet forever
Banter
- In professional wrestling, there's a thing called a battle royale. Sometimes takes place in a cage, so that people won't escape from the battle royale, until they've been knocked right out of it. So, I used to go to the wrestling matches when I was a child. They were not the big money game it is now, it was like, people who needed to stretch their entertainment dollar as far as it could possibly go went to the wrestling matches. And so in a battle royal, allegiances form and dissolve rather quickly, because you're trying to survive and get rid of the people who are against you, and keep the people who are for you on your side, 'cause you're gonna see them later on down the line. And also in wrestling, there's a thing where people try to tear off the masks of people who are trying to hide their identity. This song is about a battle royale and it's also about the labor and delivery room. (2013-07-26 Newport Folk Festival)
Live Performances
Footnotes